USHUAIA -RIO GALLEGOS

Nov. 18, Ushuaia to Rio Gallegos

We were on the road by 9:30 in steady rain turning to sleet and snow (leaving the city border, a traffic cop told us to drive “con mucho precaución!”) We climbed back up route 3 (rt 40) to the pass and retraced most of our trip down from Rio Grande back to the ferry to leave the island of Tierra del Fuego. To do so one must pass through Chile (into and then out again) because the Strait of Magellan crossing is controlled by Chile. So, on top of the long drive, we were looking ahead to two rounds of immigration and customs.

Sun peered through clouds over the Atlantic with its waves pounding the beach as we continued north up the coast before turning west and then north again to Rio Grande and onto the ferry. We were fortunate with the timing and arrived just 5 minutes before they began boarding under very cold, gray skies with high winds and waves. 

Once off the ferry, we had 45 minutes to the border, an hour or so through the various immigration and customs lines and then another 45 minutes to Rio Gallegos. There is nothing different to describe: just the same brown, flat coastal prairie land with a few small, oddly shaped hills here and there sticking up on the horizon and no mountains in sight. Windy with lots of guanacos in herds, more sheep and 6 degrees.

The wind was so strong that when the big tractor-trailer trucks came at you and passed from the other direction there is a big shudder and a whoosh sound like you were flying through a tunnel, which takes some getting used to.

Rio Gallegos featured endless warehouses as we drove in, a flat, drab, low sprawling part of town but full of colorful houses, and a huge soccer stadium. The large city center is very pleasant with a nice plaza, lots of shops and restaurants. The city is home to around 100,00 people and sits on the estuary of the River Gallegos.

We arrived at 7p.m. and found a parking spot right in front of the hotel and unloaded. The desk attendant recommended a restaurant nearby that would serve us a drink until 8pm. This being the night before the election, Argentina law mandates that all alcohol sales stop at 8pm for 24 hours. We got our order in and paid with just 2 and a half minutes to spare (note the time on the photo of the receipt). The waiter handed us the receipt, telling us to keep it handy to show to the police if they showed up! The restaurant,  Britanico. featured a 1911 picture of George McGeorge,  the founder of the British Club, which apparently still exists in Rio Gallegos.  The food  and the wine were very good, very inexpensive and much more French in style than British.

LINK to PHOTOS from USHUAIA  to RIO GALLEGOS LEG:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/i3G66vNPDw1c2Nyk8

Also, don’t forget to go back to the Ushuaia post to see the Penguin photos and videos (just posted!

Amerian Rio Gallegos Hotel: a recently remodeled hotel, with spacious rooms that include a sitting area and kitchenette. Unfortunately, the heating system was in overdrive and so we had to sleep with all the windows wide open to the street and the sound of traffic and a cacophony of city noise was unavoidable all night. Shower rather weak and warm rather than hot, and the breakfast basic, but the staff was lovely.